SMU Game Featured CAF Aircraft And Its Mission

On November 16, the Central Texas Wing of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) had the opportunity to participate in a flyover during the national anthem at the Southern Methodist University (SMU) vs. Boston College football game.

The C-47 That’s All Brother, the lead troop carrier in the Allied D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944, was joined by the B-25 Yellow Rose in the flyover at SMU’s Gerald R. Ford Stadium in Dallas, and the Wing was very happy to have their aircraft on display for the thousands of fans at the game.

SMU also gave the Wing an opportunity to share the stories of their aircraft and the mission of the CAF.

CAF Col. Mindi Russel is a member of the aircrew at the Wing and she explained how That’s All Brother was chosen to lead the aerial invasion.

In a video posted to CAF’s social media, she said, "When it flew on D-Day, the original crew was actually handpicked by John Donaldson. It was his personal crew. They normally flew a plane called The Belle of Birmingham. However, that plane did not have the special radar equipment needed to lead the main airborne invasion. So, for that one mission only, they flew this plane – That’s All, Brother – the very one behind me right now."

CAF Col. Clint Epley is the Central Texas Wing Museum Director and he recounted how the CAF acquired the aircraft, which itself is a remarkable story: “The plane was found up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Someone said, 'Do you know what you've got out there?' It was just sitting there as a junker being used for spare parts. They said, 'That’s the airplane that led the D-Day invasion.”

The CAF was started in 1957 with the stated mission to acquire one of every type of airplane that flew during World War II. It consists of 83 Wings and Squadrons around the world, 5 of which are overseas. The unique part about the CAF is that the airplanes fly: they don’t keep airplanes that don’t fly because they want to bring the history alive wherever they travel for air shows and educational events around the country.

FMI:  commemorativeairforce.org/